Financial Ability Requirments

Financial requirements for Canada Family Class Sponsorship for those residing in Canada (excluding Quebec):
A Sponsor must demonstrate a level of income that meets the minimum necessary income or low-income cutoff (LICO) for a given family size, as established by Statistics Canada. The Sponsor is freed from this requirement if:

  • - The individual requiring sponsorship is the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the Canadian Sponsor; or
  • - The individual requiring sponsorship is the dependent child of the Canadian Sponsor.

To determine if the Sponsor's total income is sufficient, deduct the following from the total family income:

  • - Workmen's compensation board payments, except for permanent disabilities;
  • - Payments from provincial or municipal sources for welfare assistance;-
  • Payments from federal, provincial or municipal sources for employment training, or for any social or welfare benefits which are not of a fixed and continuing nature; and
  • - All debts.

The resulting amount must exceed the minimum income levels shown in this chart:

Size of Family Unit

Minimum necessary income

1 Person (the Sponsor)

$21,202

2 Persons

$26,396

3 Persons

$32,450

4 Persons

$39,399

5 Persons

$44,686

6 Persons

$50,397

7 Persons

$56,110

Each additional person

$5,713

 

If the Sponsor is unable to demonstrate a financial ability to provide for essential needs, his or her spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner may act as a co-signer, if:

  • - Their combined income meets the minimum necessary income; and
  • The co-signer meets all the other sponsorship requirements of a valid Sponsor.

Financial requirements for Canada Family Class Sponsorship for those residing in Quebec:
A Canadian Sponsor must demonstrate a level of income that meets the minimum income for a given family size, as established by the Quebec government in the chart below. The Sponsor is free from this requirement if:

  • - The individual requiring sponsorship is the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of the Canadian Sponsor; or
  • The individual requiring sponsorship is the dependent child of a Canadian Sponsor.

The Sponsor must be able to prove a steady income and one that has consistently exceeded the low income cutoff over the last 12 months.

Basic needs of Sponsor and Dependent Persons:

Number of dependent persons

Gross annual income of Sponsor

0

$19,421

1

$26,218

2

$32,369

3

$37,227

4

$41,433

Each additional dependent

$4,205

 

Basic needs of Sponsored Person(s):

Persons 18 and over

Persons under 18

Annual gross amount required by sponsor

0

1

$6,724

0

2

$10,655

 

The annual gross amount required is increased by $3,552 for each additional person under 18

1

0

$14,207

1

1

$19,088

1

2

$21,552

 

The annual gross amount required is increased by $2,462 for each additional person under 18.

2

0

$20,832

2

1

$23,338

2

2

$25,192

 

The annual gross amount required is increased by $1,850 for each additional person under 18 and by $6,623 for each additional person over 18.